Environmental protectionists fear cuts to public service

There are questions about what tonight's anticipated 16,000 public service jobs cuts will mean for environmental protection and oversight, particularly for the Great Barrier Reef.

The latest report into the environmental problems at Gladstone Harbour, the home of Australia's biggest dredging project for the $35 billion LNG export hub, has been scathing about the federal and Queensland governments' role in monitoring and oversight.

The Federal Environment Department is already shedding staff to meet a budget shortfall and environmentalists fear any further job cuts tonight will mean even less monitoring of major projects like the Abbot Point port where three million cubic metres of spoil will be dredged and dumped into the world heritage protected reef.